Long-legged Buzzard
Buteo rufinus · Șorecar mare
A large, rufous buzzard of steppe-like open country, breeding in Dobrogea and the Romanian lowlands.
At a glance
- Status in Romania
- Resident
- Habitat
- Meadow
- Activity
- Morning · Daytime · Evening
- Diet
- Small mammals, reptiles and other prey of open ground.
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN)
- Photography difficulty
- Moderate
Photograph this species
- Best months
- All year
- Best time / activity
- Morning · Daytime · Evening
- Photography difficulty
- Moderate
- Where to look
- Steppe-like pastures and farmland mosaics in Dobrogea and the southern plains.
Months confirmed by a Romanian source. General guidance, not local sightings.
Photography Guide
Practical starting points based on the species’ behaviour and habitat, not fixed rules.
- Where and how to look
- Steppe-like pastures and farmland mosaics in Dobrogea and the southern plains.
- Best time / activity
- Morning · Daytime · Evening
- Behaviour to anticipate
- Soaring over open slopes and perching on isolated posts or rocks.
- Photography difficulty
- Moderate
- Starting shutter speed
- 1/2000 sec or faster for flight.
- Fieldcraft
- Learn the regular perches in a territory and set up at a respectful distance.
- Ethics
- Keep well away from nests, never use playback, and leave if the bird changes behaviour because of you.
Identification
Habitat
Distribution
Approximate range in Romania
Diet
Behaviour
Seasonality in Romania
Breeds in Romania and is partially migratory: some individuals overwinter here, while migrants winter around the Mediterranean, in Africa and in southern Asia.
Presence
Breeding
Migration
Wintering
About this data
Source-verified months inform the seasonal filters. Local timing can vary. Unconfirmed months do not imply absence. Presence verification is separate from monthly status; each month's details identify its verification. Lighter bands mark estimated timing. Empty event rows mean no event is recorded, not confirmed absence.